Another grain buyer has left farmers unpaid for grain deliveries. And yet again, some producers will be outside of the timelines required for compensation under the Canadian Grain Commission’s licencing and bonding program. This time it’s Purely Canada Foods with its Saskatchewan facilities in Avonlea, Kindersley and Lajord. Those in the grain trade are not […] Read more
Tag Archives Hursh on Ag — page 5
Wanted: solution to country’s labour disruptions
In the end, even a Liberal government dedicated to the principle of collective bargaining couldn’t stand by and watch a railway strike/lockout inflict economic havoc across the country. Whether the government has the authority to impose binding arbitration without parliamentary approval is a question to be debated, but the importance of ending the work stoppage […] Read more
Rail disruption will tighten producers’ cash flow
Labour disruptions have threatened grain movement many times in the past. The difference this time is that a speedy resolution seems unlikely. With the cloud being cast over fall grain deliveries, producers will want to assess their cash flow needs. Rail movement was already slowing as the Aug. 22 strike/lockout deadline approached. Some grain buyers […] Read more
Grain freight rates are a hidden cost for farmers
When farmers discuss input costs, it’s usually about equipment, repairs, fertilizer, diesel fuel and crop protection products. One huge cost, grain freight rates, is seldom discussed because producers pay indirectly. Freight costs used to appear as a deduction on cash grain tickets. These days, the elevator companies pay the huge cost of grain movement by […] Read more
Big crop dwindles amid heat and lack of rain
It’s a classic example of counting your chickens before they hatch. The hot weather in July and corresponding lack of rain has lowered yield expectations in many regions. In my area of southwestern Saskatchewan, crops have been going backward for many weeks. While not abundant, rainfall had been timely and crops looked pretty good until […] Read more
Recent analysis on capital gains tax is misleading
Farmers now have another reason to bash the Trudeau Liberals — the increase in the capital gains tax inclusion rate. Unfortunately, many of the arguments against the tax don’t withstand scrutiny. Certainly, taxes of all kinds are too high in Canada. In the case of the federal government, the public employee contingent has ballooned, expanding […] Read more
Better get ready for another Trump presidency
The assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump will have wide-ranging ramifications, including important impacts on Canadian agriculture. As farmers, we tend to fixate on the weather, crop development and the direction of grain prices, but international events such as this shooting set the stage for the years ahead. Any doubt about Trump regaining […] Read more
Many stories are behind seeded acreage stats
There weren’t a lot of surprises in the June 27 seeded acreage report from Statistics Canada. However, the decisions behind what producers plant as well as the long-term acreage trends are intriguing. StatCan seeded acreages for most crops were not too far from grain trade expectations. One exception may have been barley, down nearly 13 […] Read more
Field shelterbelts were never the right solution
Sometime in the mid to late 1980s when drought, soil erosion and terrible grain farm economics were plaguing the sector, I recall a Save our Soils meeting in my hometown. A portable sign helped advertise the meeting, but someone rearranged the letters to spell “Save our Souls.” That actually captured the sentiment at the time […] Read more
Gophers, insects, weather: perennial problems persist
Producers are dealing with a long list of production and management issues. While many have recurring themes, some have a unique twist. I would never have guessed that gophers could be such a big problem over such a widespread area of the southern Prairies. Unlike the control of grasshoppers and flea beetles, gophers can’t be […] Read more
